eight hundred and forty-one tons, and in 1831, one thou- 
sand and sixty-two tons. Its present price in London, my 
correspondent informs me, may be stated at from £15 to 
£25 per ton, much depending on its quality, and the clean 
manner in which it is brought into the market. Some 
doubts have been entertained by merchants, of this kind of 
trade with the New Zealanders being likely to continue. 
In reply to this doubt, my friend observes, that he, among 
others, considers it doubtful at present: for as the demand 
for the raw commodity, as introduced into the London 
market, is not considerable, and at the public sales of it 
there is but litthe competition, few houses having com- 
menced to manufacture it, it may hardly fetch a remunera- 
ting price. But when its character has become more gene- 
rally known, than it at present is, and its superiority to 
Baltic Hemp more fully ascertained by rope manufacturers 
in England, the demand for it will increase, and the price 
improving, will induce Sidney merchants, to hold out to 
‘the New Zealand chiefs such novel and costly temptations, 
in the way of trade, as would ensure the continuance of 
their exertions in preparing the Flax for them, in which it 
has been said they have rather relaxed of late, because they 
: are determined to see what new articles of use or ornament 
we could offer them, that would be worthy of their accept- 
ance, other than muskets and gun powder. 
“ T will close my remarks on the subject of the PHoRMIUM 
and the communication which it, and other indigenous pro- 
ductions of the soil of New Zealand have brought about, be- 
tween its half-civilized inhabitant and the European, in the 
words of Mr. Buspy, in the page just referred to. ‘ This inter- 
course (with commercial men) claims the attention of His 
Majesty’s Ministers, from the advantage which could not fail 
to result from fostering and protecting a trade, that is calcu- 
lated to open a very considerable demand for British manu- 
factures, and to yield, in return, an article of raw produce, 
not only valuable to England as a manufacturing country, 
but indispensible to her greatness as a maritime power, al 
which the superiority of that power will always enable her 
to command, independently of foreign countries. And, 
apart from all motives of interest, it is deserving of attention 
from the opportunities it affords of civilizing and convert- 
ing to Christianity, one of the most interesting races OF 
people, which British . : ae 
quarter of the ‘lake pe nunee has yet discovered in ” 
» scarcely mature. 4, 5. Sections of the same. 6. Seed, magnified 
